‘Wicked’s’ Color Grading Is Intended to ‘Immerse People Into Oz, to Make It a Real Place,’ Says Director Jon M. Chu: If It Was ‘Fake,’ Then the Relationships and Stakes ‘Wouldn’t Feel Real’

Eighty-five years after the release of “The Wizard of Oz,” director Jon M. Chu brings back this magical world to the big screen in “Wicked,” the film adaptation of the Broadway classic starring Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande.

The musical movie, which grossed $114 million its in debut weekend at the domestic box office, has received rave reviews from both critics and audiences. (The film received an “A” grade on CinemaScore and sterling 90% average on Rotten Tomatoes, respectively). However, some moviegoers have been critical about “Wicked’s” color grading and how it compares to the Technicolor in “The Wizard of Oz.”

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In a recent interview with The Globe and Mail, Chu spoke about the intention behind “Wicked’s” aesthetic after the interviewer commented that the film is “a little desaturated.”

“I mean, there’s color all over it. I think what we wanted to do was immerse people into Oz, to make it a real place,” Chu explained. “Because if it was a fake place, if it was a dream in someone’s mind, then the real relationships and the stakes that these two girls are going through wouldn’t feel real.”

Chu noted that he wanted to present the Land of Oz in “a way we have not experienced Oz before.” “It’s been a matte painting. It’s been a video game digital world,” he said. “But for us, I want to feel the dirt. I want to feel the wear and tear of it. And that means it’s not plastic.”

The “Wicked” director continued, “We have the environment. The sun is the main source of light. You see the vast landscapes. You see the air. You see creatures exist here. These two characters that will go through two movies, their relationship with the land is important; their relationship with the nature of this land that the wizard imposed himself. The [color] contrast goes up over time because that is what Elphaba brings to this world.” 

The color grading of “Wicked” has been a popular topic on social media ever since the first-look images were released. In an interview with Variety, Chu shared his response to criticism that those pictures were too dark.

“I chose those images specifically. It was so early, and we had just started shooting. I wanted images that were evocative and provocative to show it’s not some bright, poppy story. We didn’t even have the effects done. The background was blue. I had to have VFX put in the sky. I was coloring it on my iPhone,” Chu explained. “We’re not doing this through a real process. I love playing in the shadows, but I did have my iPhone brightness very high. When I released the photos, literally from my iPhone, I realized, “Oh, everybody really doesn’t turn up their brightness that high.” I felt bad because I did that. There was no going through the studio.”

“Wicked” is now playing in theaters.